JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man was arrested Wednesday for 'making a false official statement', according to police.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrested Breion Brown on April 5 after investigating an administrative complaint he filed. The complaint alleged an officer used excessive force and illegally searched him during a traffic stop.
Brown claimed that the officer pulled him out of his car by his neck and choked him with the seat belt. The complaint was signed by Brown, attesting that the information he had given was 'true and accurate', according to JSO.
According to the arrest report, the officer pulled Brown over for not wearing a seat belt but also found his driver's license was suspended. In a conversation between Brown and the officer in the body camera footage:
Brown: "Its a rental car everything right here."
Officer Murphy: "Just relax bro, just relax."
Brown can be heard getting aggravated with Officer Murphy even asking about his body camera.
Officer Murphy: "You know nothing, you know nothing about what's going on."
Brown: "Just do your job sir."
Officer Murphy: "I'm trying to, but you're being very nasty."
Eventually, Officer Murphy asked Brown to get out of the car. In his complaint, Brown accuses the officer of pulling him out of the car by his neck causing the seatbelt to choke him, throwing his money on the ground and searching the car without consent. But the footage shows Brown got out of the car by himself. At one point, the video shows his money on the driver's seat.
Brown: "Just search the car, I ain't got nothing on me, weed or nothin. You just stopped me for nothing."
After the allegation was made, JSO began an Internal Affairs investigation into the officer's reported conduct. After reviewing the body camera footage, investigators determined that Brown's allegations were false, according to JSO. Investigators did not find any other criminal or policy violations in the rest of the body camera footage.
Brown then interviewed by law enforcement but he reportedly reiterated that the allegations he made were accurate and true. The body camera, Brown's claim and interview lead to his arrest, according to JSO.
“As law enforcement, we have a duty to investigate all allegations of wrongdoing and ensure that justice is served. Our officers are held to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability, and we take complaints of misconduct seriously. However, it is equally important to hold those who file blatantly false complaints against our officers accountable," JSO Sheriff T.K. Waters said
"By taking decisive action in this case, we are sending a clear message that victimizing our officers in order to push an agenda will not be tolerated. We remain committed to serving our community with integrity, transparency, and respect, and we will continue to work tirelessly to maintain the trust and confidence of our citizens.”
First Coast News Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman says because of body worn cameras, complaints against officers have dropped drastically.
"There's probably no other profession where you have somebody wearing a body camera all day while they're working. If you're going to file a complaint, make sure you're accurate in what you're saying. Don't make something up, because it's going to be called in question. If it is a lie. The truth always seems to surface in these investigations," Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman said.
The arrest report also notes in March, more than a month after the traffic stop, Brown was asked to speak about his complaint again and reiterated the same version of events. Brown was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for falsifying an official statement last week.
First Coast News attempted to contact Brown about his accusations against the officer. Family member said he was not home.